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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25253710">Flare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Shepard/pseuds/Kate_Shepard'>Kate_Shepard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Red and Black [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/F, Minor Character Death, Past Rape/Non-con, Porn With Plot, Renegade Shepard (Mass Effect), Rough Sex, Smut, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:49:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25253710</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Shepard/pseuds/Kate_Shepard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Torfan, Red gives herself an assignment to take on slavers and ends up in Aria's sights. What happens when she breaks Omega's one rule?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Shepard/Aria T'Loak, Thane Krios &amp; Female Shepard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Red and Black [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986157</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first venture into wlw smut and it's been awhile irl, lol. Go gentle, please.<br/>This is originally part of the Unbreakable series. I posted it early because I wasn't sure I'd get around to rewriting that one. When I catch up to that point in the timeline, I'll slide it over. Contains spoilers for the Unbreakable series.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>“What do you mean, we’re not going to follow it, sir?” Red demanded. “You’re just going to leave them?”</p><p>Captain Mikhailovich scowled at her. “There’s nothing we can do, Lieutenant. Omega is in the Terminus Systems. If we go there, we’ll trigger a war. You of all people should understand the math behind that.”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” she bit out. “I’d like to request a leave of absence.”</p><p>“I’m not letting you run off half-cocked into the Terminus on a wild goose chase, Shepard!” Mikhailovich exclaimed. “Those colonists are long gone by now. Sold to the highest bidder or carted off to Kar’shan. You won’t find them and I’m not going to have you off playing vigilante when there’s work to be done. They're already calling you the Butcher.”</p><p>“I would like to go home, sir,” she lied. “My grandma’s sick. Just got word. That was part of what I was coming to talk to you about.” </p><p>“Your records say your family’s dead.”</p><p>“All but my grandma, sir. She’s all I have left. I’d like to be there when…” she trailed off, blinking her eyes and looking away. </p><p>Mikhailovich huffed. “If you’re lying to me, Shepard… Fine. Request granted. We’ll drop you off at the next port.”</p><p>“Thank you, sir.”</p><p>He grunted. “Dismissed.”</p><p>She left the bridge and made her way below decks to the crew quarters. Her bunk was currently unoccupied--she detested hot bunking, but there was no other option on a ship this size--so she sat down with the omni-tool she’d taken from a batarian body on the raided colony her last mission had sent her to. She already had most of the information memorized, but she wanted to review it again. </p><p>They’d docked with a carrier headed back to Earth a day after leaving the colony and had transferred the one survivor they'd found onto it. The kid was going into the system. No doubt about that. Before he’d left, though, she’d gotten him to give her everything he could about his missing sister. </p><p>It was those damn eyes, by turns angry and devastated, big and blue like Gabe's. No. Fuck no. She couldn’t go back and save anyone, but maybe if she was lucky, she could keep this boy from going down a path that was all too familiar to her. Besides, if she found the colonists, she’d find the slavers. The job wasn’t done until they were dead.</p><p>The ship put into port a few hours later and she stopped by a shop in the docks to purchase suitable clothing. From what she'd heard of the place, she’d stick out like a sore thumb on Omega in her uniform. Her battered shore bag would have to do, though. Anything new would draw attention. In civvies, she could pass as former Alliance. That wouldn’t be out of place on the outlaw colony. Mercs generally came from the military anyway. </p><p>She boarded a transport to Omega, using a fake ID Thane had provided her with in case she needed to disappear, and used the tiny cabin to change. As she did so, she imagined she was stripping Shepard away and letting Red rise to the surface. Off came the uniform, down to the standard-issue underwear. She’d keep her boots. Shiny shit-kickers would stand out as clearly as a new duffel. She pulled on a pair of fitted black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt, tugging a black hoodie over it. A little bit of makeup darkened her eyes and a messy knot at the base of her neck completed the look. No more put-together soldier. </p><p>She tucked her dog tags into a pouch in the duffel and stashed a few more blades under her clothing before clipping her pistol onto her hip. Going unarmed on Omega was the height of stupidity, but the shotgun might be enough to draw trouble she didn’t need. She wanted to fade into the crowd.</p><p>The transport docked and she popped the hood up to cover her hair before walking out onto the station. She’d acquired a map, so finding a run-down hotel to serve as her base of operations was a simple matter. Getting there was more of a challenge. The filthy station lacked public transport, so she had to walk through the grimy streets. The fetid, greasy air coated her skin, layering her in gods knew what. It felt like home. Before she’d made it halfway, a vorcha materialized out of the shadows. </p><p>“Give bag,” it hissed at her. </p><p>“Fuck off,” she said, waving it away. </p><p>“Eat youuu.”</p><p>“Not with those teeth,” she said, placing her hand on her pistol. “Didn’t your mamma ever take you to the dentist?” </p><p>It went for its rifle and she warped it and charged. If she remembered correctly, vorcha regenerated like krogan, but the warp would disrupt that process. She drew her pistol and fired into its head until the gun began to whine from the heat. Let it regenerate that. No one reacted to the altercation. This place was a fucking shithole. She loved it. <em> My people</em>. </p><p>She made it to the hotel without further disruption and procured the key to a cramped, dingy room that smelled like batarian tobacco and the sweat of several different species. She didn’t bother trying to identify the stains on the sagging mattress. Probably didn’t want to know anyway. The sheets were relatively clean, if scratchy, and there were no bugs. It would do. She activated her omni-tool and hacked into the station’s surveillance systems, thanking Amonkira for Thane and the fact that Omega’s security blew.</p><p>A knock rattled the flimsy door. Red closed her omni-tool and drew her pistol. “Go to hell,” she called through the door.</p><p>“Open up, now!” a batarian voice called back. </p><p><em> Could it be that easy? </em> she wondered. If they’d found her...but, no. They had no reason to be looking for her. Batarians were a credit a dozen on Omega. Probably unrelated. </p><p>“The fuck you want?”</p><p>“Aria wants to see you, human. Open the door before I open it.”</p><p>Aria? Aria T’Loak wanted to see her? Hmm. This should be interesting. </p><p>“Fuck you. I’m coming.” </p><p>She clipped her pistol onto her hip and pulled her hood up again. A generic-looking batarian waited impatiently in the dim hallway. Of course, she supposed he could have been ugly or even striking to his people. They all looked the same to her. She followed him across the station again to a club with pounding bass and a glowing orange motif that suited her. </p><p>The batarian led her up to Aria’s throne room where Red finally got a glimpse of her in the flesh. She’d seen her in a porn vid the asari had done a few centuries ago, but never in person. Red kept half her attention on the guards behind her and let her eyes travel from the hot, disdainful gaze Aria leveled at her, down the teasing expanses of bare, lavender flesh, and over the booted foot negligently cocked over an upraised knee. </p><p>She'd never seen the appeal of the asari, but Aria T’Loak made visions run through her head. The pirate queen of Omega was at least as dangerous as she herself was and she certainly wouldn’t let herself forget that, but damned if that didn’t just make her hotter. The asari jerked her head in the direction of the couch and Red took a seat. </p><p>“Can I help you?”</p><p>Aria fixed her with the same flat look Red used to make people squirm. “What brings the hero of the Skyllian Blitz and Butcher of Torfan to Omega?”</p><p>“Shore leave,” she answered, hooking her ankle over her knee in an imitation of Aria’s posture. “Nice place.”</p><p>“Is that why you broke into my system?” Aria asked lightly.</p><p><em> Careful now, Red</em>, she warned herself. She recognized that tone. If Aria didn’t like her answer, she’d be dead in less than a minute. Barriers wouldn’t generally stop a bullet at point-blank range and she had no doubt the asari’s biotics were stronger than hers. </p><p>“I’m hunting.” <em> Not today, Kalahira</em>. </p><p>“Hunting what?” Aria asked in a bored tone when Red didn’t elaborate.</p><p>“Humans. Specifically, a human girl,” she said. “Victim of a colony raid. Know anything about it?” </p><p>“And what is she to you, this human girl? A sister, perhaps?”</p><p>“A tool,” Red answered. </p><p>“Interesting. Most humans are not so blatant about their intentions for others.”</p><p>“Most humans are stupid.”</p><p>If she hadn’t been looking for a reaction, she’d have missed the smirk. “Agreed. I don’t know anything about a colony raid, but Nyreen Kandros might. You’ll find her in the Gozu markets.” The smirk returned and humor danced in the asari’s eyes.</p><p>“Thanks for your time,” Red said, rising. </p><p>“And Shepard?” Aria called out when she’d reached the steps. “Hack my system again and I’ll kill you myself.” </p><p>“Understood.”</p><p>She made her way to the markets, browsing kiosks as she searched for her target. Nyreen Kandros was a turian name. Females were rare off Palaven. Therefore, when she spotted the pale-faced female turian with red face paint, it wasn’t a far leap to presume she’d found her. Aria’s amusement made her hesitant to approach the turian directly, so Red followed her, sticking to the shadows and observing. </p><p>After only a few hours, it was clear that Nyreen Kandros did not belong on Omega. She must have fancied herself the turian Robin Hood because she spent most of the day assisting residents. She was the first and only person Red had seen help anyone that wasn’t themselves since arriving on the station. Why had that entertained Aria?</p><p>“Are you ready to come out yet, human?” Nyreen asked before she could consider it further. “I would like to go home.”</p><p>She should have called Thane. Stealth was not her forte. Never had been. She was far more effective at charging into a situation and creating chaos. She was grateful that the turian had ended the charade. </p><p>“Aria sent me.”</p><p>Nyreen flicked a delicate mandible. “Oh?”</p><p>“Said you might be able to help me locate someone.”</p><p>“That depends on who it is and why you’re looking for them,” Nyreen said.</p><p>The answer she gave Aria wouldn’t fly with someone who’d spent her day feeding the hungry. The turian Robin Hood wouldn’t appreciate that kind of reasoning. </p><p>“Human girl. Fourteen. Taken by batarians in a recent colony attack. She’s my friend’s sister. She’s all he has left. I told him I’d get her back.”</p><p>Nyreen waved for her to follow and led her to a grungy bar. They took a seat in the corner and Nyreen leaned forward, clasping her talons together. </p><p>“Aria does nothing from the good of her heart. She wouldn’t have sent you to me unless it entertained her somehow. What aren’t you telling me?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Red said. “I need your help. Why would I lie?”</p><p>“A million reasons,” Nyreen said. “This is Omega. No one does anything from the kindness of their heart here.”</p><p>Red raised an eyebrow. “So, I suppose you were feeding the homeless for the tax cuts?”</p><p>Nyreen sat back and eyed her up and down. “There’s a Blood Pack cell that operates out of the abandoned mines. They occasionally take deliveries from batarians. I’ve noticed an increase in activity over the past thirty hours. I can send you the nav point.”</p><p>“Thanks, Kandros,” she said, rising from her seat. “Owe you one.”</p><p>“Wait.” Nyreen hesitated and then said, “You have backup, right?”</p><p>“I’ll be fine,” Red assured her. </p><p>Nyreen huffed. “I suppose you want to do this tonight? Meet me here at 0200.” She brought up her omni-tool and pointed to a spot on the map. </p><p>“Why?” she asked. </p><p>Kandros was a stranger. What did she want? People didn’t volunteer to go up against a gang of krogan without a reason. </p><p>“Unlike most here, I <em> do </em>like helping people. And I hate slavers.” </p><p>Red looked her up and down, evaluating. “You know how to fight?” </p><p>All turians served in the military, but that didn’t mean they had combat training. The military <em> was </em> the government, so any government job counted toward service. She could have been a trash collector.</p><p>“Served with a cabal. You know what that means?”</p><p>“Biotic, hmm? Okay. See you there.”</p><p>Nyreen certainly <em> sounded </em>genuine. Red had experience with turians and she’d learned to recognize some of their secondary vocals. Most had difficulty lying and it would come through in their voices. Either Kandros was skilled at it or she was what she seemed: too good for Omega. </p><p>Perhaps that was what had Aria entertained. She’d taken one look at Red and pegged her for what she was; which was both insanely alluring and a little bit frightening, though Red supposed that it became an automatic skill after a few centuries in a place like this. If the turian turned on her, Red would just kill her, too.</p><hr/><p>“Nyreen says you single-handedly took on half a dozen krogan last night.”</p><p>“Mmm.” Red rolled her head on her neck, stretching sore muscles. She <em> had </em> taken on half a dozen krogan and was paying the price for it tonight. “You know who I am, so you know what I did on Elysium and Torfan. Blood Pack’s nothing.”</p><p>“Did you get what you needed?” Aria asked, lifting a finger to one of her cronies.</p><p>Red watched the turian go down to the bar and return with a bottle of blue liquor. He presented it to Aria along with a pair of glasses. </p><p>“I did.”</p><p>Aria cracked open the top on the bottle and poured. She passed a glass to Red before saying, “And now you’re going after the slavers. Oh, drink it. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t use poison.”</p><p>“It isn’t poison that concerns me,” Red said, holding the glass up to the light. </p><p>Aria smirked. “I don’t have to drug people to get what I want.”</p><p>“Oh?” Red asked, dipping a finger into the glass and bringing it to her lips. She locked eyes with Aria and licked the liquid from her fingertip. Sweet, with a hint of bite. “And what’s that?”</p><p>“You are a bold little thing, aren’t you, Shepard?” Aria said. Her expression didn’t change, but her eyes locked onto Red’s finger. </p><p>“Don’t see the point in playing games. So, what <em> do </em> you want?”</p><p>“A lot of things,” Aria said, leaning back against the couch and draping her arms along the back. “Most are none of your business.”</p><p>“And the ones that are?” Red asked, taking a sip of the drink. </p><p>“You’re a destructive little bitch. I like that,” Aria said. “Come with me.”</p><p>Red tossed the shot back and followed the asari through a doorway across from her throne. She kept enough of her attention attuned to her surroundings, wary of a trap, but let herself admire the alluring sway of the other woman’s hips as she walked. The door led into an apartment that would have been luxurious even on the Citadel. To be sure, none of the other citizens of Omega lived half this well. Being queen had its perks.</p><p>Aria rounded on her and Red’s barrier flared as the asari shoved her against the wall. She went for the knife at her wrist, but Aria grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head before burying a hand in her hair and giving it a painful jerk, tipping her head back. Red hissed in a breath, feeling heat flashover in her core. Aria was tall enough that she was able to look down at her and she brought her face close enough to Red’s that Red could feel the warmth of her breath. </p><p>“I take what I want, Shepard,” she murmured. </p><p>“You’re welcome to try,” Red said with a wicked smile. </p><p>She used a biotic throw to push Aria back and charged, slamming into her. The asari caught her and turned, her own barrier absorbing some of the blow. </p><p>“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Aria smirked, hooking her ankle behind Red’s and jerking her down. </p><p>Red’s back hit the floor with a thud. She brought a knee up and shoved, tossing the asari aside. Aria rolled into a crouch and Red mirrored her, waiting. </p><p>“You’re trying the patience of an asari matron?” Aria laughed. “You <em> are </em> bold.”</p><p>Red grinned. She was completely certain that a wrong move could result in permanent death rather than the little one, but that only enhanced the experience. Aria could eat her alive. It was a thrilling challenge. Being hunted by Aria T’Loak was heady. </p><p>“I take what I want,” she echoed.</p><p>“Try, then,” Aria taunted.</p><p>Red shrugged out of her jacket--she suspected clothing would not remain intact for long and she <em> liked </em> that jacket--and tossed it aside. Aria’s eyes lit, smoldering with anticipation. Red sprung, aiming for a point that would put her in position to lash out with her foot. Aria leapt and caught her around the torso mid-jump, crashing into her and sending them rolling. Fists, elbows, knees, and feet flashed as they tumbled, each forcing the other to pay for every inch they took. </p><p>Red felt her shirt rip and Aria’s hand reached through the gap to cover her breast. She rolled her nipple between her fingertips, squeezing hard. Red drew in a sharp gasp and arched up into her touch, bringing her hand up to wrap around the back of the asari’s neck. She jerked her head down and buried her teeth in the pirate queen’s shoulder. Aria fisted a hand in Red’s hair and tore her mouth away. </p><p>“You <em> like </em> it rough,” Aria said, her lips twisting up into a sneer. “This <em> is </em> going to be fun.”</p><p>“Fuck me,” Red groaned, throwing her hips up in an attempt to dislodge the asari. </p><p>“I’m going to,” Aria assured her, leaning down to kiss her with bruising force. </p><p>Teeth clashed and their tongues sparred. Aria completed the destruction of her shirt and moved down to take her nipple into her mouth. Her teeth closed over it, her tongue following, stinging and soothing at the same time. Red slipped her fingers between the asari’s crest and jerked, sucking in a sharp breath as Aria’s teeth scraped over her nipple. </p><p>She shoved again and Aria tumbled to the side. Before the asari could recover, Red was on her. She drew the knife from her boot and sliced the straps holding Aria’s tight shirt together, just cautious enough to ensure that it didn’t nick the skin beneath. If she drew blood, this would turn into a different kind of fight entirely. Aria’s hand locked onto Red’s thigh, digging into flesh and muscle. Red replaced the knife and bent down to run her tongue from Aria’s belly to her sternum. </p><p>Aria threw her back and glowed blue. Red flared her barrier, but the stasis caught her. Panic bubbled in her throat, replacing lust. </p><p>“Fucking let me go!” she shouted, struggling against the hold. She couldn’t move. “You goddamn cunt, I swear to every god there is I’ll fucking kill you.”</p><p>Aria’s eyes turned calculating for an instant, but she rose to her feet and strode over to Red, grabbing her wrists. The stasis fell. Aria threw her onto the bed, pinning her wrists above her head. </p><p>“Move from this position and I’ll freeze you again,” she warned against her lips. </p><p>Red held herself still and watched Aria crawl backward. She rose up, shrugging out of the tattered remains of her bodysuit, revealing a lithe, toned lavender body. Red’s clothing came next. She prowled around the bed and rummaged through a drawer before coming back with a harness attached to what looked like a turian cock. </p><p>Aria grinned over at her and said, “They do have lovely equipment, don’t they?” Red watched as she strapped herself into the harness and stalked onto the bed again, kneeling above her. “Such a good girl once you learn your place,” she purred, drawing Red’s lip between her teeth and nipping sharply. </p><p>Aria’s hand slid down her body, pausing to note the flames on her ribs, the dip of her navel, the curve of her hip. Her fingers dipped between Red’s legs, plucking the thin skin just above her clit and twisting. Red’s body bowed as fire ripped through her. Her fingers clutched the satin sheets. Aria chuckled and slid a finger into her, locking her teeth around Red’s nipple. </p><p>When Red reached for her, Aria shoved her hand back onto the bed. “I warned you,” she snarled. </p><p>Red felt the dark energy wrap around her hands, pinning her in place. Panic began to rise again and Aria wrapped her hand loosely around Red’s throat. </p><p>“Breathe, damn it.” She added a second finger and began to move. “<em>My </em>hands are what you need to worry about, Shepard, not yours.”</p><p>Strangely, that worked. The asari wasn’t being gentle by any means, but this was exactly what she needed. Coddling made her feel like a victim. Pushing her forced her through it, especially with the anesthetic of time and distance. </p><p>She arched up into Aria’s hand, pushing into the stasis for leverage and got an approving hum in response. Aria removed her fingers and Red felt the head of the dildo press against her. She snapped her hips, burying it in her to the hilt. Red sucked in a breath and bowed up, hooking a leg around Aria’s waist. </p><p>Aria gave her no time to adjust to the oversized toy, slamming it in again and again. Her hand remained around Red’s throat. Red pushed into it, craving the razorwire dance of trust, of could but <em> probably </em>won’t, the electric zing of endorphins through her aching, heaving, wanting body. </p><p>“Oh, fuck, Aria,” she groaned, her head thrashing against the sheets. </p><p>Aria’s hand tightened on her throat. “Eyes open. Look at me.” </p><p>Red looked up at her. Blue eyes were now a slick, endless black. A hint of anxiety mixed with raging desire. Aria maintained her punishing rhythm, driving Red to the edge again. </p><p>“Embrace eternity and all that,” she muttered and then her mind was probing Red’s. </p><p>Red resisted for a moment and then let the pirate queen pull her under. She could feel Aria’s desire, her excitement, the rush of power at having Red at her mercy. She felt her own skin, soft and pliable under Aria’s hands, her pulse thrumming below her fingers. She felt the urge to squeeze and the control that followed it. </p><p>Aria snapped her hips again, pushing Red over the edge, and they felt her fall together. Aria’s head fell back and she flared her barrier, her breath coming in gasps that made her breasts heave. </p><p>The connection broke. The stasis disappeared. Aria sat back, withdrawing from her, and began unstrapping. Red rolled to her side, searching for her clothing and fighting the lassitude that made her limbs feel heavy and her eyes droop. She still had to get back across the station to the hotel and she needed her wits about her for that. </p><p>Aria settled against the headboard with a knee drawn up and watched silently as Red dressed. Her shirt was ruined, so she zipped the jacket up and ran a hand through her hair. </p><p>Typically, she’d say thanks and give a jaunty wave as she walked away, but instead she stopped at the doorway. “Can I ask you something?”</p><p>Aria huffed. “I suppose.”</p><p>“You didn’t have to do that. With the stasis. Why did you?” </p><p>She <em> knew </em> Aria had done it deliberately, pushing her past her fear and replacing the memory with a better one. </p><p>The asari gave her a flat look before looking away again. “You don’t dance on Omega for as long as I did without dealing with unwanted advances.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she said and turned away.</p><p>“Come back tomorrow. You can’t take that entire slaver ring by yourself and Nyreen won’t be available. I have something to show you.” </p><p>“Why would you help me?” she asked.</p><p>“They’re inconvenient. If you succeed, you resolve that for me. If you fail, I have a bigger mess to deal with. It behooves me to help you help me.”</p><p>“Understood,” Red said and left the apartment.</p><p>Holy shit. She’d just fucked Aria goddamn T’Loak. </p><hr/><p>The following day found her in a section of the station she hadn’t been to before. The warehouse Aria took her to was long and narrow, stacked with empty crates and littered with broken equipment. Aria offered no explanation and Red didn’t ask. She simply waited while Aria rolled her head on her shoulders and moved the fingers on her hands in a mnemonic that was unfamiliar to Red. She turned, glowing blue, and raised her hands, shoving them out from her. Dark energy flew from them in a wave that crashed into the empty crates, shattering and sending them flying to crash against the back wall.</p><p>“Holy shit,” Red breathed. </p><p>Was <em> that </em> how Aria had managed to take over Omega? If so, it was no surprise that she’d succeeded.</p><p>“I call it a flare,” Aria said. “It does an enormous amount of destruction, but takes a massive amount of energy as well. Your amp will need to fully recharge after you use it, but it is absolutely invaluable when you’re outnumbered. I checked the scan Grizz did. You have the right configuration of eezo nodules to be able to do it.”</p><p>“You’re going to teach me how to do <em> that</em>?” Red asked.</p><p>“No,” Aria said flatly. “I brought you all the way down here just to show off. Stop talking and face the far wall.” Red moved to obey and Aria brought her hands up. “Do what I do. Let me know when you feel it.” </p><p>She copied the motions, committing the mnemonic to memory. When she was ready, she nodded. Aria gestured for her to go. </p><p>Red repeated the mnemonic, visualizing the energy flowing through her body into her hands until she felt it hum through the microscopic nodules under her skin. She gathered the energy in her palms and pushed it out from her. The resultant wave was weaker than Aria’s, but made her throw look pitiful in comparison. The few crates left after Aria’s shattered, and broken pieces skittered across the floor. </p><p>“Holy goddess of oceans,” Red said. “That is fucking awesome!”</p><p>Aria smirked. “Drink your juice and try again. That was sad. I forget how weak human biotics are. You need to <em> feel </em> it. Hold nothing back. This is not a skill you use when you want to leave something in reserve. It takes everything you have.”</p><p>Red sat back, chugging the juice Aria had brought for her. Her nerves sang. Her amp tingled. Her entire body was alight. As soon as she felt the click of her amp recharging, she stepped back into place. Her fingers weaved the mnemonic and her hands <em> shoved </em> the air. The blue wave swept the floor clear and plastered broken shards of material against the back wall.</p><p>“Better,” Aria said. “Come.” She led her to the next warehouse. This one was loaded with heavy machinery and sealed crates. “Now, I’m going to show you what it can be.”  </p><p>Aria stepped up behind her, aligning their forearms and pressing her palms to the back of Red’s hands. Together, they ran through the mnemonic and Red allowed Aria to push her hands. Her biotics mingled with the asari’s, amplified in the process. The crates ruptured. The machinery exploded. By the time the dust settled, there was nothing left but pieces. </p><p>“Damn,” Red said.</p><p>“And <em> that </em>will teach Eclipse not to cheat me on my payment.”</p><p>“Broke Omega’s one rule, hmm?” Red asked.</p><p>“As did you,” Aria said, nipping her ear. </p><p>“You just said don’t fuck <em> with </em> Aria, not don’t <em> fuck </em> Aria,” Red pointed out. </p><p>Aria chuckled and stepped back. “True. I like you, Shepard. I think I’ll let you leave alive if you manage to survive the slavers. Unless, of course, you’d like to join my team. I could use someone like you.”</p><p>“As appealing as that is, I have a feeling my current profession has a longer life expectancy,” Red said. “Less chance of a knife in the back.”</p><p>Aria spun her around, her eyes flashing. Her lips crashed into Red’s, teeth flashing out to capture her lower lip. She slowly dragged back. </p><p>“I’d stab you from the front.”</p><p>“Good to know,” she chuckled. She wiggled her fingers. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Just make it worth my while,” Aria said. </p><p>“Will do,” she said. </p><hr/><p>Red woke in the darkness to a hand pressed over her mouth and cool breath at her ear. She tensed and her barrier flared before she recognized the webbed middle fingers across her lips. She let the barrier fade and relaxed into the dingy mattress. He released her, stepping back to stand beside the bed. Though she couldn’t see him, she would bet good credits his hands were now clasped behind his back. </p><p>“Thane? What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I could ask the same of you, Drala’fa. Or should I call you Gemma Blackwell?” </p><p>“I’m on a mission,” she said, sitting up. </p><p>“Unsanctioned by the Alliance, on a space station that is home to some of the worst criminals in the galaxy. Is this a mission or a vendetta?” he asked.</p><p>“Neither,” she admitted. “I’m searching for someone. If I get to take out a lot of batarians along the way, even better. Why are you here?” </p><p>“Your use of the ID I provided flagged me. I was...concerned.”</p><p>“You could’ve called,” she muttered.</p><p>“And you would have lied,” he said. “I needed to see you for myself.”</p><p>“Well, you’re here. Wanna help? Like old times?”</p><p>“I will always aid you when you ask,” he said. “You are tired, Drala’fa. There are circles under your eyes.”</p><p>“Hard to sleep in a place like this,” she said. “Old instincts. I’d say I’m surprised you got the drop on me, but you’re you.”</p><p>“You may rest now,” he said. “I will guard you.”</p><p>She shook her head. “Quit being stuffy and lie down. The bed’s shit, but it’s better than standing all night.” </p><p>He hesitated for a moment before she felt the bed dip. She waited until he was lying on his back and then tucked her head into his shoulder, careful to avoid putting weight on his chest. </p><p>Her fingers trailed over the smooth emerald scales revealed by his vest. “How bad?”</p><p>“It is not a concern yet,” he said. “My doctors are hopeful.”</p><p>His fingers came up to thread through her hair. She relaxed into him, savoring the familiar contact. Thane was the only one who held her this way, one of only two whom she trusted to hold her in the dark. With the wall to her back and him at her front, she felt cocooned, secure. She drifted back into sleep, sinking deeply into the certainty that he would wake her if there was a threat.</p><p>The following day, they did recon on the facility where the prisoner exchange was to take place. She’d learned that the slavers kept their prizes in different locations, rotating them through for control chip installation, branding, and training, all in preparation for sale. There was no discernable pattern to the movements, so she’d been forced to wait until they would all be together. That meant all of the slavers would be present as well. </p><p>They discussed their plan and set up contingency events. While they walked back to the hotel, Thane said, “Your most recent message after I last saw you was evasive.” </p><p>“Wasn’t ready to talk about it,” she said. “It was rough. You know my history. But never in that time did anyone try to <em> take </em> from me. Food, sure. Credits. But no one put their hands on me without at least some semblance of consent. No one stole my agency over my body. Until now. I was helpless. I am not accustomed to being helpless while others express more right to my body than mine, Thane.”</p><p>“That would be traumatic, even without perfect memory,” he said. </p><p>“I do <em> not </em>envy you that particular ability. Its usefulness would be outstripped by my insanity. I don’t know how you do it.”</p><p>The corners of his mouth tipped almost imperceptibly. “You speak as if you are not already insane.”</p><p>She grinned and elbowed him in the ribs. “Ass.”</p><p>He raised a brow ridge and looked down at the point of contact. “This Lukas is good for you, Drala’fa.”</p><p>“Why do you say that?” she asked. </p><p>“I have not seen you smile since we lost the children,” he said.</p><p>“I love that you say ‘we lost’ them,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder for an instant before resuming her distance. </p><p>Thane wasn’t particularly tactile and he especially wouldn’t appreciate having his movements hindered in the streets, but with the few people she was comfortable around, she liked occasional casual contact. She still didn’t want anyone hanging on her like she saw other people do, but the occasional touch was enjoyable. </p><p>“I cared about them, too, Drala’fa,” he said, taking her hand and tracing a finger over Gabe’s music note. He ran it down the line on her wrist, his brow furrowing. “I do wish you would remove these. Do you truly still need them?”</p><p>“Yes,” she said. </p><p>“It is for Kalahira to determine when you grace her shores, Red, not you. I had hoped that you would learn that," he sighed. "Well, it is good for you regardless. I enjoy seeing you light of heart.”</p><p>“Says the most stoic man I’ve ever met,” she teased. </p><p>She was glad he was here. She wouldn’t have asked him to come, but she’d missed him. They regularly went years without seeing each other. She never had been able to truly classify him in her mind. He was so many things to her. She still thought he was beautiful, but she didn’t lie awake at night longing to feel his hands on her. When they slept together the way they had last night, she simply felt comforted. He didn’t make her pulse race or her stomach flutter, but he did make her feel warm. </p><p>He was the one person she didn’t have to hide from. She kept no secrets from Thane unless they weren’t her secrets to tell. He’d known her in almost every iteration of herself. He’d seen her dark side and was still here. He’d seen her soft. He’d seen her hopeful. He’d seen her idealistic and naïve. He’d seen her jaded and broken. She didn’t have to <em> tell </em> him about her history. He’d been there. He’d lived it with her. She’d described him as father once and supposed that was the most accurate descriptor. If he called, she would come, no questions asked, and he would do the same for her. </p><p>“Why this child?” Thane asked as they boarded the rickety lift to her hotel room. “Of all of the colony raids you have worked in the past months, why is this the one who sends you running from your life to chase what could already be a ghost?”</p><p>“I promised her brother,” she said.</p><p>“Why?” he asked again. “What set this one apart?”</p><p>“What set me apart for you?” she asked.</p><p>“I saw myself in you,” he answered. </p><p>“Maybe I saw myself in him,” she said. “Or maybe I’m trying to save Abby.”</p><p>“You lie, Drala’fa. To yourself and to me.”</p><p>She shrugged. “Maybe it’s not Abby I’m trying to save. Maybe I don’t want Sam to be disconnected.”</p><p>“You are getting closer now, but you still lie,” he said mildly.</p><p>“Maybe I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. </p><p>He chuckled. “As long as you know the truth, Drala’fa, I do not need to pound it into that thick skull of yours.”</p><p>“Drop it, <em> Dad</em>.” </p><p>That earned her a full laugh, rare for Thane, and an incline of his head. “As you wish. Continue to tell yourself that.”</p><p>“Fuck you,” she groused.</p><p>“You wish.”</p><p>Red barked a laugh and blinked at him in surprise. His smirk only heightened her amusement. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist.</p><p>“I love you, Thane,” she said humorously. </p><p>“And I, you, Drala’fa,” he said, returning her embrace.</p><p>The elevator stopped and they parted. Today, they would rest. Tonight, they would go find Sarah, and perhaps she could save someone after all.</p><hr/><p>Red crouched on the catwalk in the abandoned eezo mine with Thane beside her. The scene below was not ideal. She had anticipated the slaves being held aside, but they were interspersed with the batarians. Their glazed, vacant eyes were locked onto their captors. The buyers hadn’t arrived yet, but were due in the next hour. As it was, there were two dozen enemies with twice as many helpless non-combatants.</p><p>“These people won’t fight, Thane,” she said. “I don’t know if we’ll even be able to scatter them. There’s no one home.”</p><p>“Do you see your target?” he asked.</p><p>She nodded. “The dark-haired female kneeling beside the batarian with red on his scalp.” </p><p>Even without the picture Sam had provided her, Red would have been able to identify Sarah. She looked like a female version of her brother. Her face was more delicate, her frame smaller, but those gray-blue eyes were unmistakable. </p><p>“Is she the only one you wish to save or do you intend to rescue all of them?” he asked.</p><p>“Ideally, I would like to kill the slavers and free the slaves. I don’t know if that’s going to be an option. Nyreen said they usually have them penned up. I wasn’t expecting them to be mixed together. My flare will kill them, too. Without it, there are too many for just the two of us.”</p><p>“If you wish to avoid civilian casualties, yes,” he agreed. “We could most likely remove half of them, but they will quickly begin killing the slaves in retaliation for their losses.”</p><p>“If Nyreen was here, we could get the colonists behind her barrier somehow and I could flare without worry, but unless the situation changes soon, we’re going to have to move before the buyers get here.” </p><p>“Then it appears you must make a choice, Drala’fa,” he said, his dark eyes patient. </p><p>“Can the control chips be reversed? Can they come back from this?”</p><p>“I believe so, but I am not certain,” he said. “It is rare that slaves escape the batarians, but it does happen. Thus, I would conjecture that it is possible.”</p><p>She looked through her scope at the group below. The job wasn’t done until the slavers were dead, and she had never failed to complete a mission. She shouldn’t hesitate. Completing the mission at all costs meant that there should be no question. Yes, these innocents would die. How many more would be spared their fate? </p><p>“Amonkira, lord of hunters, grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift,” she whispered. </p><p>Her finger gently stroked the trigger. Thane would take the shot with her. She would leap down and flare. Between the two of them, they would be able to remove any who survived. She could envision it clearly. It would be quick and clean. Would they want to live that way? Even if the effects could be reversed, would they want to be saved after what they’d been through? Could they come back from that?</p><p>Thane picked up the prayer, “And should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness.”</p><p>The memory of Sam on his knees in a stranger’s kitchen with his fists pressed to the side of his head formed in her mind. Gray eyes melted into blue; shaggy hair to a cowlick. If she killed these people and lost Sarah, she would be saying that her life, that Abby’s life, was less important than Red completing her fucking job. </p><p>She lowered the rifle. “Wait.”</p><p>Thane followed suit and cocked a brow ridge. “We save the colonists?”</p><p>“We save the colonists,” she said. “The goddamn slavers will get their fucking day, but it’s not today.”</p><p>“I am proud of you, Siha. What do you need me to do?”</p><p>“I’m no siha,” she said. “Drala’fa suits me just fine. I’m going to go down, spark some chaos. You get the colonists out. Meet me at the docks. I’ll take them to the Alliance.”</p><p>“And what will your command do to you for this?” he asked.</p><p>“Slap my wrist if we save them. I’m not worried,” she said. “Ready?”</p><p>“Let’s roll,” he said, flashing her an uncharacteristic smile. </p><p>“You’ve been spending <em> way </em>too much time with me,” she said with a smirk. “Guess this is goodbye again. We won’t have time to say it after.”</p><p>“Until next time,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Do not forget to message when you are safe again.”</p><p>“I won’t,” she said, swapping her sniper rifle for her shotgun. “Let’s roll.”</p><p>She leapt down off of the catwalk and initiated her charge on the batarian Thane warped for her, setting up the detonation. It exploded around her in a sucking rush of dark energy that threw her target back in a heap and knocked three more aside. She shot them in quick succession before throwing a duo away from their human captives. A flash of green cut across her peripheral and then the humans were being spirited away. </p><p>She chose her next target and charged again, taking down a batarian who’d turned his rifle on her. Bullets flew across the open space, most of them directed at her. She didn’t give them time to lock on, charging again as soon as her amp was ready. Space and time warped around her as she flashed across the battlefield. The remaining humans dwindled, the majority whisked away by Thane, though she noted a few caught in the crossfire and took one down herself when the man dove between her and his batarian master. The slavers either fought back or broke and ran. She let the retreating ones escape. </p><p>She heard the scrape of a boot behind her and turned with her shotgun at the ready. The batarian’s rapid fire slammed into her torso, dropping her barrier and cracking her armor. The rounds hammered her belly and her hip, jerking her like a marionette on tangled strings. </p><p>Thane’s tortured “<em>Red! </em>” registered only peripherally.  </p><p>She pounded her heel onto the ground, charging into the fire, and caught him in the belly, sending them both to the ground. His flat, porcine nose caved under her gauntlet and she wedged the shotgun under his chin and pulled the trigger. Another round caught her in the back of the shoulder. She heard the crack of Thane’s rifle and the gunfire stopped. The sudden silence echoed in the mine. She rolled onto her side, gasping for air.  </p><p>“Drala’fa!” Thane shouted. </p><p>“I’m fine,” she grunted, waving him away before he could reach her. “Didn’t penetrate. Get the civilians out. I’ll be there.”</p><p>He hesitated for a moment before running back to the stunned group of humans and ushering them out. Red rolled onto her knees, clutching her belly, and groaned again. Her hardsuit’s VI <em> finally </em> activated her medigel and she remained on hands and knees, waiting for the anesthetic to take effect. </p><p><em> What the hell? </em> That had never happened with Thane before, but she generally either let him take the lead or had him in his sniper’s perch watching her back. They weren’t used to fighting independently together and he wasn’t used to fighting with anyone at all. She’d gotten complacent. </p><p>
  <em> Spoiled, really, is what I am. Used to Luke at my six, reading my mind.</em>
</p><p>She pushed to her feet and walked gingerly out of the mine, clipping her shotgun to her back as she went. She looked for Sarah in the human dead and when she didn’t find the girl, she left the bodies littering the floor without a backward glance. There was nothing she could do for the colonists they’d lost and nothing she would do for the goddamn batarians.</p><p>Thane met her at the docks with the colonists. He’d found a transport that was preparing to leave and had purchased passage for all of them. His dark eyes searched her face. She could see herself in them, drawn and pale, but triumphant. The job wasn’t finished. Half a dozen had gotten away, including their leader. But she counted more than thirty colonists, including Sarah. </p><p>Thane passed her the shore bag he’d brought from the hotel and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “Until next time, Siha.”</p><hr/><p>Red stayed with the colonists in a large cabin until she heard the announcement that the ship was preparing to dock with the <em> Jennings</em>. She attempted to engage them, but they stared blankly ahead, obeying her orders but otherwise vacant. They might as well have been mechs. She wondered again if she’d done the right thing as she changed out of her busted armor and into her uniform, putting her dog tags around her neck once more. </p><p><em> Good night, Red. Good morning, Shepard</em>. </p><p>She remained close to Sarah as they transferred from the transport onto the Alliance ship. The girl was as lost as the rest of them, but she tried anyway. </p><p>“Sam’s waiting for you, Sarah. He survived. You’ll see him soon.” </p><p>Nothing. Blank stare. No recognition. Red sighed and put her arm around the girl’s shoulders, walking her through the airlock. </p><p>Mikhailovich was waiting as she knew he would be. Her boots had barely hit the deck before he started in on her. </p><p>“Lieutenant Shepard, what the hell do you think you were doing?” he railed. “I gave you a direct order <em> not </em> to go into the Terminus Systems! I denied your request for leave based on that. Dying granny, my ass. Do you even <em> have </em> a grandmother, Shepard?”</p><p>“Sir, no, sir,” she said, keeping pace with the girl as they went down to the med bay. If he wanted to yell at her, he could. She wasn’t leaving Sarah.</p><p>“You lied to me to take off half-cocked on some vigilante endeavor? I am going to have your ass, Shepard! You’re out! You’re <em> done</em>! You hear me? I’ll have you court-martialed as soon as we get into port at Arcturus! Admiral Hackett is going to hear about this!”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” she said, guiding the girl to a bed. “You’re going to be all right now, Sarah. They’ll get that collar off and get that chip out and you’ll be okay. Sam’s waiting. Don’t forget.”</p><p>“Uh, sir?” the doctor said, alarm ringing in his voice. “These collars are rigged. We can’t get them off. If they’re removed, they’ll blow.”</p><p>“Rigged?” Mikhailovich asked, breaking off from his tirade to face the medical officer.</p><p>“Explosives, sir.”</p><p>“Lockdown! Code black! All hands, general quarters!” the captain ordered. </p><p>Red registered his commands as she leaned over Sarah’s prone form. She hadn’t paid much attention to the metal collars encircling their necks. She’d assumed it was simply a symbol of their status--or lack thereof--and that had been a mistake. Closer inspection revealed the thin wire buried in the metal. </p><p>“Shepard, out!” Mikhailovich ordered.</p><p>“I’m not leaving her, sir,” she said. “They’re stable now, but if they start moving or clawing at it, someone has to stop them or the entire ship is potentially at risk. I brought them here. It’s my responsibility to stay, sir.”</p><p>“I will deal with your insubordination later, Lieutenant. For now, I don’t have time to argue with you. Try to keep these patients still, Doc.” He turned and stormed out of the med bay. </p><p>The door slid closed and the lock flashed from green to red. The doctor glared at her. “Do you know how many souls are aboard this ship, Lieutenant?”</p><p>“Three hundred forty-two with the new passengers, sir,” she said absently, still examining Sarah’s collar.  </p><p>“Three hundred forty-two souls that <em> you </em> endangered through your reckless and irresponsible behavior, Lieutenant,” the doctor snapped.</p><p>She ignored him. She was no explosives expert and the guys who were hadn’t arrived yet, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something vital. Her eyes traced the wire again as he continued to rant at her, snagging on a barely-visible piece that curled up into the metal.</p><p>“Oh, shit,” she whispered. “Get out, Doc,” she ordered. </p><p>“You can’t give me orders in my own med bay, Shepard! I outrank you!” the doctor sputtered. </p><p>“Get everyone out of here now!” she said, waving him away. “It’s got a fucking antenna!”</p><p>The doctor simply stared at her, but one of the nurses skidded up beside her. “What do you need us to do?”   </p><p>“Tell Mikhailovich to clear the passageways and get me volunteers. We need to get them to the airlock. We have to get them off this ship <em> most </em> motherfucking ricky-tick. Understood?”</p><p>“Aye aye, ma’am,” the nurse said. He ran for the intercom and called up to the bridge. </p><p>Red listened with half an ear as she began directing what remained of the nursing staff to get the patients on gurneys. “Stack ‘em like cordwood if you have to.”</p><p>“These are people, ma’am,” one protested.</p><p>“They aren’t <em> there</em>. You understand? Their minds are gone,” she said. </p><p><em> Fuck me </em> what if it was a trap set once they figured out she was on Omega? What if this had been the batarians' plan all along? A way to fuck with the Alliance? That would have required them knowing who she was, though, and only Aria knew that. Her thoughts spun, but she shoved them down to analyze later when she could determine what was paranoia and what was possibility. The nurse continued to argue with the captain. Finally, the lock turned green.</p><p>“Can’t believe we’re just going to space them,” someone said.</p><p>“They’re dead regardless. The question is whether they take us with them,” she said. Goddamn idealists. </p><p>“We’re going to have to come back for that last one,” the nurse who’d argued with the captain said. “Gurneys are all full and we’re out.”</p><p>“Go. I’ll carry her.” The others nodded and began to move out.</p><p>“But, ma’am, if you jostle her the wrong way…”</p><p>“They were walking around for two hours. Jostling isn’t going to set it off,” she said.</p><p>“Then there’s time to wait,” he stubbornly replied. “If that thing goes off with you carrying her, you’re dead, too.”</p><p>“Airlock open. Ejecting waste matter,” The VI’s modulated voice announced.</p><p>“See? They’re on their way back.”</p><p>Red glanced down at the girl on the bed and back to the nurse. No. There was no time. She didn’t know how big the explosion would be if it came, and the med bay was too close to the hull. She had no desire to get spaced today. She slid her arms under the girl and lifted her up. She would just have to hope it didn’t blow before she got her out. </p><p>Sarah’s eyes flew open and the girl reached up. Red grabbed her arms. “Sarah! Calm down! Listen to me! Be still! Do <em> not </em> move!” Sarah froze, her gray eyes locked onto Red. “I need you to be calm. I’m going to help you. I’m going to pick you up and carry you somewhere safe. Do you understand?”</p><p>The girl nodded, fear written into every line of her features, but her eyes were trusting. Red slid her hands under her torso. Poor thing still believed in safety. She allowed Red to lift her up from the bed. She could simply break her neck now, but if there was a failsafe for its removal, there might be a trigger tied to her pulse as well. The others’ hadn’t blown when they’d fallen, but that antenna changed things. Gods only knew what kind of programming the batarians had sent. She shifted her grip so that she could put the girl over her shoulder and the world exploded into a fine red mist.</p><hr/><p>“Welcome back, Lieutenant.”</p><p>Red blinked up at the white light overhead and attempted to focus. Her vision blurred and her head pounded. She lifted a hand to her forehead and encountered tacky fluid. She probed gingerly at her face, relieved to discover it was still in one piece. Her hair was matted to her head, but everything was where it should be and she could find no wounds that hadn’t been covered in medigel. </p><p>“Admiral Hackett?” she asked, finally focusing on the man at the foot of the bed. Mikhailovich stood beside him with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. </p><p>“I think you’re making a mistake, Captain. She’s a wild card. She doesn’t follow orders. She lies. She’s insubordinate and has no respect for her superiors or the rules. She’s--”</p><p>“The damn hero of the Skyllian Blitz, Captain,” Hackett cut in. “She is not going to be court-martialed for attempting to rescue a group of captured colonists. If nothing else, the media would have a field day. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Mikhailovich stormed out of the hospital room.</p><p>Hackett said, “You’re in the hospital in Vancouver, Lieutenant. Captain Mikhailovich has requested that you be court-martialed and transferred to a different command for the duration. I’m inclined to grant his second request."</p><p>Red’s head was still spinning. She imagined that if she looked up, there would be bluebirds circling. She’d expected to be court-martialed for...something. It was fuzzy. Thane and Aria T’Loak. She’d been dreaming. Hadn’t she? </p><p>She cleared her throat and said, “What...?” </p><p>“The reports from the nurse state that you were attempting to pick up a human girl and carry her to the airlock with the others. Before you could do that, though, the batarians remotely detonated the collars. Fortunately for you, they were designed to implode rather than explode because her head was right next to your face. The concussion still knocked you out cold. What the hell were you thinking getting that close, Lieutenant?”</p><p>It came back in a rush. The girl’s sudden awareness, her panic. Reassuring her to keep her still so that she could get her to the airlock without ripping at the collar. Those eyes locking onto hers shifted in her mind between gray and blue. And then the explosion that overloaded her ears and reverberated through her skull, coating her in a spray of blood and gore. And then nothing. She shook her head, unable to answer.</p><p>“That was quick thinking, ejecting the others from the ship. If the blast had been reversed, the combined force could have taken out the vessel. As it was, hers was the only one still on board when it blew. No casualties, only minimal damage from the med bay and part of that was your barrier exploding.” When Red only nodded, he sighed. “I want a report in my inbox by 1700 tomorrow. For now, the doc’s cleared you. You’re restricted to the city until you ship out next Wednesday at 0800. You’re dismissed.”</p><p>“Ship out where, sir?” she asked.</p><p>“Check your omni-tool. The details are there.” With that, he turned and left her alone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Cover image from Pinterest</p></blockquote></div></div>
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